All Creatures Big and Small

I accidentally stumbled upon a show on Animal Planet called The Aquarium. It was released in 2019, so you may be familiar with it. I didn't know much about it, but I gave it a try. The show spends two seasons looking inside the Georgia Aquarium. It is like a docuseries where the staff who care for the animals share about what they are doing and why it matters.

I'll be honest, I didn't expect to be drawn into this world. I'm not sure what I expected, but it definitely wasn't to be crying about the abundance of kindness shown to these animals by the teams caring for them.

I was blown away by the way these animals are so fully known by the men and women who work with them every day. And I was equally amazed by the teamwork demonstrated by the staff to ensure the animals have safe and stimulating experiences in their habitats.

Now, I know that not everyone loves zoos, aquariums, or other places where animals are contained, and I understand that completely. I also realize this is an edited TV show that may or may not accurately depict all aspects of the Georgia Aquarium.

But what I observed was really beautiful!

There was a moment when the staff identified that something was wrong with the way one particular whale shark was swimming. It was making tighter circles in the water than usual, drifting to the right rather than swimming straight on. Their veterinary team prepared for a dive to perform a blood draw on the whale shark to determine if they could identify what was wrong. Everything the dive team did was like a choreographed dance. One diver was feeding the whale shark to keep it moving in the right direction, another diver swam near the whale shark's fin, keeping pace with it so the diver could draw blood, and yet another diver retrieved the blood and ferried it to the surface as quickly as possible before it began to clot.

All of this was done with such compassion and care as the team worked together to acquire the information that was needed. A few days later, based on their findings, they were able to administer a steroid injection into the whale shark, which allowed it to relax, begin healing, and become more comfortable in the water again.

In another part of the aquarium, a group of rescued harbor seals needed to be relocated to a new habitat. These seals were going to be transported by elevator. Weeks before the move was going to happen, the team began walking the seals to the elevator and having them practice getting inside. One seal, named Floyd, was a little on the skittish side and would get to the elevator, panic, and rush back to his pool. The team members worked together to try different techniques to get Floyd comfortable with the elevator. Each day, they made a little more progress. They paid attention to Floyd's body, how he was responding, and what would help him feel safe. 

Every episode was a beautiful reflection of humanity caring for creation. 

The recurring message from all of the staff, whether dealing with surgery, eating issues, or relocating to new locations, was that we want the animals to experience loving care. We want them to know that they are safe. We will find an alternative way for them to accomplish what we need to do that doesn't scare them. We will spend as much time as necessary to prepare them for whatever comes next.

More than once, I found myself crying while watching this show, wishing that we would treat our fellow humans with the same kindness and dignity shown to these animals.

I think it would make a tremendous difference. 

~  Melissa